Tom's new cholesterol numbers are in and we have success! He has a little bit to go, but he's so compliant - most of the time - that I know he'll be in the right place before we know it.

In the meantime, we have a new malady ... nocturnal leg cramps. Though I often sleep through Tom's late night hop around the bedroom, sometimes the cramps are so bad his calves are sore in the morning. My research nets me what I already know save adding magnesium to his diet. There are some lifestyle changes I have had him try and we are now keeping track so we can figure out what is working and what isn't.

It seems Tom has mastered his new diet and while he still enjoys a good steak he has learned to add some color to his plate. The old "meat and potatoes" fare he prefers has been replaced by a smaller starch and a fresh salad and/or a vegetable. And, fruit ... he's eating more fruit that he ever has ... even dabbling into the feared papaya and mango!

From MSNBC's The Last Word ... Celebrity chef Mario Batali is leading an effort in New York City to raise awareness about funding for the federal food stamp program. He's putting his money where his mouth is.

For the past week, Batali has been on a food stamp budget along with his wife and two teenaged sons. That amounts to $31 per person for the whole week — $1.48 per meal, each. He said he's been having rice and beans for lunch every day, and figuring out ever-cheaper ways to put food on the table. And his sons are "having more peanut butter and jelly than they have in the last ten years."

Fox News host Greg Gutfeld criticized the chef saying, "Does this make you want to slap him around?" Seriously. In the Rewrite, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell took on the Fox News host going after Batali for his efforts.

Now, my husband and I decided we'd give his vegetarian lentil chili with corn a run for it's money and tomorrow for lunch we'll see how it is. I made it today and it's filled with fresh vegetables and smells wonderful.

If you happen to have a couple old ice cube trays tucked away somewhere you may want to bring them out for this recipe!

2 cups lemon juice15 peppermint (I used spearmint) leaves

In a small food processor, place the leaves and a bit of the lemon juice, and give it a spin. Add to the rest of the lemon juice you have placed in a 2-cup measuring cup and then pour into an ice cube tray.

My dear husband, Tom, has discovered another new food he really likes. Unlike his favorite fat-laden ice cream he has opted for a raspberry sorbet! Now, I'm not sure he'd go for it if they were side by side, but I'm thinking ... he just might.

A smaller portion of the sorbet seems to satisfy his sweet tooth more than regular ice cream ... good for you, Tom!

Tom and I were watching one of the many cooking shows we watch .. and a famous chef, whose name escapes me, said a trick to spruce up any dish is fresh herbs. Well, we have an herb garden so I was anxious to hear his tip. Combine several cloves of garlic, 15 - 20 fresh basil leaves and 2.5 cups olive oil in a blender. Puree, then pour into ice cube trays ... remember those?? ... and freeze. When they were solid, I popped them into a labeled Ziploc bag and tossed them back in the freezer.

So, for last night's dinner with my grandson, Aidan (he's seven), I cooked some spaghetti pasta and after I drained it and while it sat in the sink, I tossed some chopped onion, fresh mushrooms (about 1/2 pound) in the pasta pan and sauteed them until they were cooked through. I tossed in a drained can of diced tomatoes and two "garlic/basil ice cubes" and the drained pasta. I tossed it and served with a sprinkling of feta and Parmesan cheese and a bit of salt and pepper. It was wonderful! Aidan ate it all, though he prefers canned mushrooms!

So for Tom's dinner at work tonight, imagine my surprise when I pulled out the leftover pasta/tomato/mushroom/garlic/basil concoction and it was half gone!! He took some to work ... now I have to wonder if he noticed there was no meat in there??? Only time will tell!

Tom has found unsweetened almond milk to be something he can tolerate on his cereal! Being a firm believer in knowing from where your food comes, he has stopped buying, for now, his beloved cow's milk from a local organic dairy. Now, I'm sure there are some meals where cow's milk will be the only option, but for now ... bring on his Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds and a serving of unsweetened almond milk!

I am so proud of Tom and yet we do have some work to do. He has been compliant and has worked hard to reduce his cholesterol numbers to something acceptable but ... (you knew there was a 'but' didn't you?) ... I realized today we have a little bump to jump over.Tom worked overtime last night meaning he got home about six o'clock this morning. He was ready for breakfast and usually has 4 - 6 eggs, probably a half pound of bacon, toast, and a V-8. With me cooking he found on his plate one egg and two eggs-worth of EggBeaters about two servings of baked ham and a whole wheat English muffin with a bit of butter ... oh, and his V-8. Since I not only reduced his egg consumption, but also substituted egg whites, I did squeeze some catsup over his eggs (gag me with a spoon!!). I wasn't trying to pull a fast one on him ... he knew I would prepare when he needed. But the sad part is ...

... because I did not lay out his food for him (yeah, even I get busy BUT I did tell him there were BBQ boneless ribs and bowl of broccoli/carrot mixed vegetables in the frig - he forgot) he stated, rather matter-of-factly, that he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast because he wasn't sure what he should eat. It nearly broke my heart.

So, it was time for a heart-to-heart ... I complimented him on his efforts ... and told him he didn't have to worry too much about what he ate ... because ... more often than not he's right on. He said he almost made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but only liked it on white bread and he had recently bought a loaf of soft wheat bread. Then when I explained it wasn't much better than the white bread he prefers we both agreed I'd add HIS white bread to the shopping list.

I don't ever want Tom to think he can eat something ... until he gets the hang of all this, I'll be sure to have his meals planned out better for him. Options ... it's all about options.

In an interest in staying off statin drugs but still reducing our cholesterol, I laid out supplements for Tom to start taking when he was told his cholesterol was too high. Now he hasn't returned to the doctor yet to see how his numbers are doing, but he's doing just about all he can short of going vegetarian! His evening supplement routine is simple ...

Sunday morning has become our "oatmeal for breakfast" morning. Tom is a trooper and bypasses his beloved bacon and eggs for a bowl of whole grain oatmeal with turbinado sugar and a bit too much 2% dairy milk. Granted, I found him a milk that is not ultra-pasteurized that actually TASTES LIKE MILK and ... he loves it. My research showed the purpose for ultra-pasteurizing milk is solely for increased shelf life! YUK! Milk from our local Working Cows Dairy offers a tastier fare. Now that I've switched Tom from whole milk to 2% it's the one saturated fat I give him.

Here's where the story begins ... because this marvelous organic, non-ultra pasteurized milk is what it is, the shelf life is a bit shorter than what we're used to ... therefore, Tom's milk had curdled ... I had oatmeal cooking and gave him his options ... "Do you want your oatmeal plain, with soymilk, rice milk, or almond milk?"

I got 'the look' ... I suggested the almond milk since it's taste isn't quite a 'green' as the soymilk and not as thin as the rice milk. He agreed. I didn't pour as much milk as he would have had it been cow's milk, but enough that he could definitely taste it! Imagine my surprise when he liked it! And, imagine HIS surprise when he liked it.

Will almond milk replace his beloved cow's milk? No ... but perhaps it will on oatmeal! It's progress!!!

I am ...

... a former blogger for a health site, which means eating healthy aka heart smart
which has become a passion for me. I will start at the beginning when I first
discovered I had high cholesterol.
Blogger's Note: First and foremost, please do not go off any meds if
you are currently taking something for high cholesterol! It is critical
that you follow your doctor’s orders. I am NOT a doctor nor am I
experienced enough to provide you with advice.

This blog is simply my journal of how I lowered my cholesterol.
I am working with a doctor ... but, should you ask him he’d probably
say he worked for me, which is true and should be ... in my opinion.

The things I have changed have worked for me and may work for you, but
as I said, I’m not telling you to stop taking any meds your physician
has prescribed for you, but to talk to him about some options you are
willing to consider.